Fruit-drier



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l. W. A. BECK.

FRUIT DRIBR.

No. 422,897. Patented Mar. 4, 1890.

N. FETERS. FhnlmLlthogmphnr. Wnhingnn. D4 Cy 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. A. BECK.

FRUIT DRIER.

No. 422,897. Patented Mar. 4, 1890.

llllllllm RHI N I N. PETERS 'PhnoLilhograpMn Washingun. D. C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3. W. A. BECK.

FRUIT DRIRE.

(No Model.)

No. 422,897. Patented Mar. 4, 1890.

'f UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

VILLIAM A. BECK, OF SANFRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 422,897, dated March 4, 1890. Application filed June 27,1889. Serial No. 315,797. (Nomodel.)

To'ctZZ whom. it may cm2/cern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. BEcK, a citizen of the United States, residing` in the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Driers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for drying fruit and vegetables; and it has for its object to produce a drier or apparatus in which considerable quantities of fruit or other substances to be dried can be readily handled and treated with smallamount of labor and attention, and in which,also, uniform resultsY can be secured.

The following description clearly'explains the nature of my said improvements and the manner yin which I proceed to construct, combine, and apply the same to produce a drier for operating on a large scale, the accompanying drawings being referred to by figures and let-ters. i

Figure l of the drawings represents my improved drier set up for use, and shows the Walls of the surrounding chamber cut away on a vertical plane through the center to show the interior construction. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on a horizontal plane, `which is taken at a line above the top of the revolving rack, portions being broken away to show the trays. Fig. 3 is aside view, on a larger scale, showing parts of the revolving rack and the trays. Fig. 4 is a top view of the rack in detail. Fig. 5 shows the construction of the mechanism for raising the trays from the bottom toward the top of the rack tion of filling the drier. Fig. 6 is a modiiication of this lifting mechanism. Fig. 7 is a sectional View of a portion of the surrounding chamber at the upper door or opening through which the trays are taken out. Fig. S shows one of the trays in perspective.

A is a chamber or building, of cylindrical. form internally and constructed, preferably, of brick, containing a furnace B, air-heating passages, and spaces C C inthe lower part, and adapted to entirely inclose a revolving rack D.

A A2 are openings in this chamber, of suitable size for inserting and taking out the trays, and provided with doors .A3 A4 for closn in the opera.

:ing them during work. The lower one of these openings is located on a level with the Lbottom D of the rack, and through it the trays with the green fruit are introduced, While the upper opening is provided for draw- E'ing out the trays at the end of the drying operation.

The pipes C in the heating-space are convnected With a chimney or smoke-pipe W on the outside, and the chamber has a conical roof, terminating in an outlet- E, in'wliich is `placed a valve or damper F for controlling the escape of the heated air, and thereby to regu- Llate the circulation and temperature Within jithe chamber.

The revolving rack D is a light skeleton frame formed of the circular top and bottom jplates D D2 and upright bars D3 D3 around fa Vertical shaft or post Dtl in the center. This .post has journaled portions d5 d on the ends, for which bearings g g2 are provided in stationary parts in the surrounding chamber, tand on these centers the rack is balanced to turn smoothly. The top plate D2 of the raclc fh-asa circular rim di, grooved to receive a belt 5G, which may run from an engine-shaft orV lsuitable motor outside for imparting a regular rotary vmotion to the rack, the belt being carfried through openings in the Walls. This is la simple and direct Way of applying power to turn the rack; but a skillful mechanic can jsubstitute other means for the purpose, such "as a shaft and bevel-gearing, to connect the center pivot D4 and the driving-shaft together, or by applying power to the periphery `of the top plate of the rack through the mejdium of gears. k

.'llhe uprights of the frame divide the rack ,into spaces or open compartments of uniform size, and the trays are shaped accordingly to zslide into and out of these compartments. ,They are in form, therefore,a section of a `polygonal ligure, being curved atthe front ,edge to conform to the circular shape nof the 1ra-ck. and taper regularly toward the rear.

The manner of framing the rack will be umv derstood from Figs. 3 and 4 ofthe drawings. The two sets of inner and outer posts D3 D3 :are braced and held by the rails D5 D6, and Itho top and bottom plates D D2 and the rails or supports (Z9 are placed only at the bottom of each compartment, so that above them the4 on upright pintles mx, and have coil-springs of the hot air by fixed spacing-posts t2 at the m2 applied like the spring of a hinge to throw them forward after the tray is raised above their top edges. Suitable space is left between one tray and the next for circulation A corners of each tray.

The front edge of the tray is curved to] carried around the rack form so many spirals conform lto the circular shape of the surrounding chamber, while the back and sides are fitted closely to theback and sides of the compartment. Upright strips D10 at the front are fixed against the posts D2 to overlap and set outside of the corners of the trays to prevent them fromslipping forward; but at the front and bottom of the compartment the stripsare notched, as seen at n u, to let in the trays at the bottom. Thus in the operation of lling each compartment the rack is turned to bring the compartment in front of the opening A and the trays are slipped in one at a time, one tray being raised up to admit the next one beneath it, and the last eleing catches M M.

The means for raising the trays consists of the straps or bars L L, joined at top and bottom by cross-bars L L2, and the lifting-strips L2, fixed on the inner sides of the uprights, all of which revolve with the rack, these parts L setting through guide-slots p p, andv shown two different means of raising it. rlhe first of these consists of an upright rod R on the inside of the chamber and in line with the liftingframe, so arranged that by its vertical movement it will strike against the bottom cross-piece L and lift the frame from beneath. This rod is' connected with a handleverfyR outside for working it by means of the elbowdever R2 and the cord or connect-s ing-rod R3. In another way, as represented in Fig. G, the frame is lifted by means of the hooked rod S, lever S', pivotcd at S2 to some fixed point above outside the chamber, and the cord or wire S3, the hook being set to vated tray always being held up by the yield- 1 take under the cross-bar L2 of each' vlifting'- frame as the rack i's'turned around to bring each frame successively into position. Either of these means will serve to work the liftingframes, and it is understood that such device is so placed as to act on each lifting-frame at the time when a compartment to be loaded or emptied is brought into position at the chamber-openings.

A novel feature of the present invention is the arrangement of the trays in spiral order around the center post,which feature,in connection with the rotary motion imparted to the rack, has the effect to produce intimate contact and thorough circulation' of heated currents betweenA and over the entire surfaces of the trays. In this arrangement the trays are set at an inclination out of the horizontal and in such position that the lines of trays extending from the bottom to the top, and to prevent upward passage of air-currents betweenone compartment and the next the spaces between the adjacent edges of-the trays between every compartment are filled by boards or strips V. Instead of setting the trays at an angle in this manner, however, the same effect, practically, may be secured luy-arranging the trays horizontallyv and in stepped order around the rack, so that the trays in one compartment set a short distan-ce above those in ther next adjacent compartment, and the spaces between the trays will have spiral progression around the rackfrom top to bottom.

'Io regulate the motion of the rotating-rack l and for stopping it in position to be loaded or unloaded at any of it-s compartments through the openings A A2, Ihave applied a frictionbrake U at one side of the opening A2 and a spring-stop Y at the opposite side.l The brake is a simple friction-band bearing Aagainst the rimof the bottom plate and attached to a lever Uf outside the chamber at-one end and to a point U2 at the4 opposite end. The

l catch X can be thrown into play to arrest the movementv of the rack, while the catch Y serves to prevent retrograde movement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byv Letters Patent, isf-1 V1. In a fruit-drier, a revolving tray-holding rack having' compartments adaptedfor trays of a shape corresponding to sections of a polygonal figure, combined with trays having spacing blocks or posts and. arranged .in ascendin g spiral order aroundthe rack," substantially as set forth.

2. In a fruit-drier, a revolving trayfholding rack having compartments adapted for trays ot' a shape corresponding to sections of a polygonal figure, combined with trays that are arranged in ascending spiral order aro-und the axis of rotation, the filling boards or strips by which the ,spaces between the adjacent sides of the trays in the same spiral are closed against ascending currents, and mechanism,

IIO

substantially as described, by which rotation eatehes X Y, and the hand-brake U, located is imparted to the rack, substantially as set forth.

in the walls of the housing and applied for engagement with the revolving raek, in the 3. In a fruit-drier, a revolving rack having manner andfor the purpose as set forth.

regular rotary movement on an upright axis l and fruit-holding trays arranged therein in ascending spiral order around said axis, as set forth.

4. In combination with the revolving fruit-` raek arranged for regular rotation on an npright axis within a hot air chamber, the

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto s et my hand and seal.

WILLIAM A. BECK. [L sg Witnesses:

CHAs. E. KELLY, EDWARD E. OsBoRN. 

